New NRC Chief Tells Congress She’ll Run Agency in Collegial Way

July 23 (Bloomberg) -- Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Chairman Allison Macfarlane, who took office two weeks ago, will
pledge in her first appearance before Congress to run the agency
“in a collaborative and collegial manner.”

Macfarlane, in testimony prepared for a House hearing
tomorrow, draws a contrast between her and Gregory Jaczko, who
resigned amid accusations he failed to include other
commissioners in decision making and berated the staff.

“I have already begun to meet regularly with my
commissioner colleagues, to seek their thoughts on major issues
facing the agency, and to benefit from their expertise,”
Macfarlane said in testimony submitted to House Energy and
Commerce Committee for a hearing. “I have also had the
opportunity to meet a number of the dedicated staff at the NRC,
who have begun to provide me with briefings on some of the
important issues before the agency.”

Macfarlane, reiterating comments by her predecessor, said
the agency see no imminent risk from continued operation of U.S.
nuclear power plants. Additional requirements will be imposed on
power companies to assure nuclear facilities are able to cope
with “beyond-design-basis” natural disasters.

An NRC inspector general report last month said Jaczko
acted within his authority in directing the commission’s
response to Japan’s Fukushima crisis. The IG also reported that
some staffers said they were bullied by him.